The STS-81 crew poses in front of the Space Shuttle Atlantis as it
stands poised for liftoff from Launch Pad 39B to dock with the Mir
space station. They are (from left): Mission Specialists Marsha
S. Ivins, Mission Commander Michael A. Baker; Mission Specialists
J.M. "Jerry" Linenger and Peter J. K. "Jeff" Wisoff; Pilot Brent
W. Jett, Jr.; and Mission Specialist John M. Grunsfeld. STS81 is the
fifth Shuttle-wazzu Mir docking mission and will feature the transfer
of Linenger to Mir to replace astronaut John Blaha, who has been on
the orbital laboratory since Sept. 19 after arrival there during the
STS-79 mission. During STS-81, Shuttle and Mir crews will conduct risk
mitigation, human life science, microgravity and materials processing
experiments that will provide data for the design, development and
operation of the International Space Station. The - primary payload is
the SPACEHAB-DM double module will provide space for more than 2,000
pounds of hardware, food and water that will be transferred into the
Russian space station during five days of docking operations during
the 10-day mission. The SPACEHAB will also be used to return
experiment samples from the Mir to Earth for analysis and for
microgravity experiments during the mission.
(Photo Release Date: 12/DD/96
)

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